Puella Magi Tokyo Magica: Rika's Rebellion Story
by Lord Master N
Summary: She started out as a simple lady of the night. Then she made a deal and became a revered village leader. With the power of her friends, she became a true hero. How then, did she fall to become the cruelest witch of them all?
1. Prologue: Stella and Meryl's wish

Howdy!

This time, in honor of _Higurashi Hou_ coming out, I'm making a _When They Cry_ story.

So, enjoy!

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Once upon a time, in the distant past...

A girl made a deal with a being that came from another world

for having any single wish be granted

magical powers would be bestowed

and she would call forth frightening monsters.

Girls from all kinds of worlds had their wishes granted to them

and a countless number of girls became monsters.

Before long, all of them came to use up all their power

to the girls that possessed magic

a secret rumor makes it's rounds.

When they disappear from this world

a magical god will come

and guide all witches to a wonderful golden land

A wonderful golden land where there is nothing to hate or be sad about...

xxx

Stella Maiougi was no weakling. She worked hard to support a child (though not hers) along with a brother she dearly loved. She helped her mistress through thick and thin, to accomplish their mission of a better Japan. She figured she could fight through anything.

But this... was not something she was prepared for.

Stella laid on the hospital bed, barely being able to speak. Her life was at it's last moments. She bravely sacrificed herself to protect the child, even when her beloved warned her not to. At least, she figured, she could die without regrets.

That was before this strange being appeared before her.

It looked like her friend Meryl, and had her voice... but something about her sounded different.

"It wasn't worth it..." sobbed Meryl. "If she's not alive... I want her back!"

"Is that really what you wish for?" said the doppelganger.

"Y-yes..." said Stella, as best she could.

"Would you trade your soul for it? If you want it badly and are willing to accept a life of battling witches, I can give you what you want."

"If I make this deal with you," said Stella, "will you help me live?"

The being confirmed. "Certainly! You have more than enough potential."

"I wish... I wish all this could start all over again. I wish I could live in a world where Japan isn't suffering like this. I wish for a world where I can meet my friends all over again. But this time, instead of them protecting me, I wanna protect them!"

"The deal is complete. Now close your eyes..."

And with that, she faded away.

xxx

Meryl stood in front of Stella's grave. The war against Gabriel finally drew to a close... but at what cost?

She sobbed.

"This is all my fault. None of this would have happened if I hadn't made that _stupid_ wish!"

"What are you saying, Tanashi?" The other Meryl flew into her view.

"The Great Disaster... millions of people dying form a stupid disease _I_ conjured up..."

"Your wish was to end the global war. I simply followed through on that."

"But... _not like this!_ Not with Japan crushed and suffering under occupiers!"

"Hey, you reap what you sow."

"... Is Stella okay?"

"She's fine. You in this universe may not meet her again, but she's watching you."

"What's gonna happen now?"

"Who knows? Anyways, our contract has long since ended, so I have no reason to stick around. But you will see me again... trust me, when you die, you'll see her again."

"...Goodbye, I guess."

"Bye!"

"There's really no way to reverse my wish?"

"Nope. And one wish per person, sorry."

The other Meryl dissipated into the air.

xxx

Gabriel lay in a hospital bed. He, too, was running out of time.

"Hey, Gabe!" The apparition materialized. This time, it looked different... shrouded in shadow and with a black outfit somewhat resembling a shrine maiden.

"Ahh, hello. I'm sorry... I failed."

"Whatever. You got rid of a bunch of criminals, so you didn't exactly fail. I'll see to it that they get the punishment they deserve."

"A..ahh... Heheeehaaa..."

"Yeah, uhh... that thing you drank earlier or whatever? It's poison."

!

"Meijiu sent it. You're going to die the same way Yuuji did."

Before he could speak, Gabriel began coughing and shaking. What the spirit said was indeed the truth. He vomited blood. He dould s=feel hos whole body burning up, as if he too was being sentenced to an eternity of punishment in hell. His throat could burst any minute now.

"Ah, well, looks like our contract has been terminated."

He remembered the first time he told the spirit his wish. _I want to take revenge on those bastards who took my family! No... I want the power to bring the entire underworld to justice! Criminals are the worst scum in the world! Despicable, just despicable! Grant me the power to bring them all down to hell where they belong!_

Now, all that was over. He would see now if God would reward him at last.

"God, please... have mercy on me..." were his last thoughts.

And the last thing he heard was...

"I told you. Please. Call me **OYASHIRO-SAMA.** "


	2. Prologue Part 2: A New Life

p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Prologue Part 2: A New Life/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""What an interesting tale, my master!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Erika Furudo was fond of listening to her master ramble on about whatever. This time she told the story of her past in a span style="font-style: italic;"kakera/span completely different from the one's seen before./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Yes, indeed. I hope you're enjoying this, because this is the span style="font-style: italic;"last time /spanI'm bothering to tell anyone about my past. Anyways... then, I met Lady Lambdadelta for the first time ever..."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Erika leaned in like a child listening to their mother's bedtime story./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"xxx/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Stella ran through the strange purple realm. She felt like she was trapped in another dimension... or she might have been, who knows. This library seemed to stretch on for infinity. She ran and scurried until she finally saw the comforting and familiar face of Meryl Tanashi./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"But on closer inspection, it wasn't quite her./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Welcome, Stella!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Where... am I?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""You are in the Meta World, the land where magic reigns supreme!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Okay... now I span style="font-style: italic;"know/span this is all just a bad dream."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""If it's a bad dream, you're never waking up! You're span style="font-style: italic;"dead,/span buddy!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"...?/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Uhh..." she said as her face took on a more... sympathetic expression, "look... I have seen what you all went through, and it was brutal... but I admire the courage and determination you all showed. I honestly do want to give you all another chance."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Okay. What exactly does this entail?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Come. I'll show you."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"The real Meryl was standing there. She and Stella looked outward, and saw a Japan ravaged by the disease. this was the japan they all knew too well./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""This was a horrible tragedy," stated the lookalike in a pink dress, "but it doesn't have to be this way. You have made a contract with me... so now, I can span style="font-style: italic;"dispel/span this horrible tragedy! I can create a new world where you may live and be happy! And I can help all of Japan, too! Thanks to your contributions, you may finally save this rotten world!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"They didn't quite understand./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Y-see, I've got the souls of all your friends in this world. My master's constructing a new world for all of you. In this new world, you'll roam free!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Now, now, let's not get too carried away with descriptions." said a dignified voice./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Stella and Meryl looked to see a tall, purple woman strolling casually inside./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Ah, welcome, children of man. I am known to some as Oyashiro-sama. Pleased to meet you at last, Stella... my descendant."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"The blue-haired girl could feel her jaw drop at those words./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Yes. You are from the village of Hinamizawa... Well, of course you don't remember, since the great disaster forced everyone to evacuate, including your ancestors."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Neither of them could speak- they were at a loss for words./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Hm? Finding it so unbelievable? Well... At any rate, I have summoned you here because my disciple here, my little miko," she explained as she patted her disciple's head, "has agreed to grant you all a new world. Now, I aided her with the process."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"They were still stunned./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Finally, Meryl opened her mouth. "What the span style="font-style: italic;"hell/span is going on here? Who are you, miss Oya-whatever?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"The purple-haired one stated, "I am... what some people call... God."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Their jaws dropped even more./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""No, that's not an exaggeration. I truly am the divine ruler. And as such, I have the power to grant you all a new realm with which to inhabit. Now, come with me."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"They followed her to a crystal in what seemed like the middle of space./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""In here lies the new world. It's currently just a prototype, but feel free to explore it, nonetheless. Your friends have already gone through."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Is... is this safe?" asked Stella./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""I assure you. All this may seem absolutely shocking, and hard to believe, but what I am saying is the truth."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Okay... let's go in!" Yelled Meryl excitedly./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"She and Stella floated in, hand-in-hand, to the new world that awaited them.../p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""So, time to begin our new game?" asked the pink one./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Indeed, my disciple. I wonder how this one will turn out? You'll help, of course."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""No problem!" The pink one turned away./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"span style="font-style: italic;"Hee hee hee... now, phase one is complete. Time to spread my influence. I will become the new Oyashiro-sama! I've already got Gabriel believeing in me, so it's only a matter of time. Ohohohohoho... Let's see how this turns out. I hope it's fun!/span/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"span style="font-style: italic;"xxx/span/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Rika awoke to the sound of cicadas. She stepped outside her home and into the morning light. The village of Hinamizawa... what a beautiful place. In here, nature ruled supreme. Grass and trees and beauty as far as her eyes could see. It was so different from her former life... Not the least of which because she was inexplicably a child./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Anyway, a new transfer student was coming today! The announcement felt like something out of a manga.../p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"xxx/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Rika could not explain this feeling of happiness. Her friends were having a picnic near th Furude shrine. Yes, she now had a whole shrine to herself. Unbelievable; the purple-haired one had practically made her a princess./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"To her left was Mion Sonozaki, a green-haired girl who was in line to manage her family's... disreputable practices. Not that this was anything new for the girl once called Stella; she was all too familiar with the criminal underground, after all. On her right sat Rena Ryuugu, finally returning from Ibaraki. The poor girl had a... tough home situation, and suffered an unfortunate episode where she attacked three boys. They started it, of course./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""And after that, I spoke to her. I told her she had to return to Hinamizawa. So that's why she's here now." That's what Hanyuu, as the goddess preferred to be called, explained to Rika./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""And the transfer student?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Au au au... he's also here because he... attacked people. N-nothing serious, just... he was stressed, and... hau au au..."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Rika decided not to press further, sensing Hanyuu's discomfort./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Mr. Maebara Keiichi-kun... oddly, whenever Rika looked at his face, she couldn't help but flash back to a certain red-haired officer. He just had that look about him.../p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Back to the present. At last, there was Meryl- er, Satoko. Satoko Houjou. Her very best friend. Neither of them could explain how grateful they were to see each other's faces. When they first gazed upon the other's new form, it felt like a choir singing praises and joys. They were finally free./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"She continued talking with the others and enjoying their little picnic./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"xxx/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"On the way home, Rika and Satoko (and Hanyuu) came across a tall blonde woman./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Ahh, Miss Furude and Houjou! How are you two doing today?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Fine, thanks." replied Rika./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Never been better!" replies Satoko with more enthusiasm in her voice./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Hee hee hee! Say, is Maebara your friend, by any chance? I happened to run into him a little while ago."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Yes, actually." admitted Rika./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Oh, how wonderful! It's always great to make new friends!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Yeah! Well, see ya!" said Satoko./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"...it's strange. But... while Rika does get along with this Miyo Takano person... for some reason her skin always felt the slightest bit colder when seeing her./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Well, gotta practice for the festival soon./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"xxx/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Keiichi's been acting weird. Just today, he was practicing with a baseball bat. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be strange. But according to Mion, he was... aggressive with it. And he won't talk to anyone./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"I hope he's okay.../p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"xxx/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""No. No no no no. This can't be happening."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""I'm telling you Rika, span style="font-style: italic;"I didn't do it!/span He clawed out his throat! Au au..."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""THEN WHO DID?!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"This morning, the local news reported Keiichi, Rena, and Mion span style="font-style: italic;"dead. /spanAfter all that promise of a new world, it was happening again. People dying. Uncomfortable flashbacks of seeing Primavera's members fall one by one.../p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""First the dam manager, then Satoko's parents, then span style="font-style: italic;"my /spanparents, Satoshi, Tomitake and Takano, and now... WHY?!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Okay, okay... let's get our bearings here... huff. Au au."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Rika downed another drop of her favorite Bernkastel wine. Hanyuu's head hurt. "It's happening all over again," she said through her drunken sobs. "Everyone's gonna die!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""No, Rika!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""...Where's Satoko?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""In the kitchen."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""I'll- go get her."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"The last thing she heard when opening the door was several voices as some men grabbed her./p 


	3. Ch1: As If I Met The Demon In A Dream

p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Chapter 1- As If I Met The Demon In My Dream/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"xxxx/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""So with that, please look forward to our next story-'Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni- Watanagashi-hen!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""But seriously, it's not the curse." said Rika. "Right now, I'll explain everything-"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""And why can't you just accept the truth?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"What was that? Who was that? At the door./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;" /p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"At the door./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"At the door was... Hanyuu./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Hanyuu suddenly barged in... wait, was that her? It... doesn't look like her./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"The eerie spirit had the shape of Hanyuu, but with a more shadowy outline. It's voice was also.. deeper. It sounded more like a male demon./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Yet it proclaimed: "This was all the work of Oyashiro-sama, and you're all blind!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Hanyuu?!" said Rika, clearly dumbfounded./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Looks like you lost." said the spirit./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Everyone around them muttered in confusion./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Listen here, Rika. I've been... watching you. And I really wanted to play with you. But you lost! Listen here- your mission was to find out who killed you. And now you know- the great Oyashiro-sama did it!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Impossible! You were nothing but friendly to me!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Can you really trust me, though? How do you know I have not been plotting behind your back this whole time?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""What? I...You! Who are you?! Because you are cretainly not her!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Everyone around them exchanges confused glances, as they of course were even more clueless as to what to make of this. Everyone except Takano, who was strangely absent. Not that Rika noticed- she was too busy with the strange apparition that dared to pose as her friend./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Listen, Rika." said another, taller purple-haired one, the one called Featherine. "I regret that she seems to not have fully explained the rules of this game."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Hanyuu? Game? What?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""A game of chess. In a way. So, Lambdadelta here," ah, so it's that pink stalker, "has proclaimed that the culprit behind the incidents is Oyashiro-sama. To win, we must prove to her that her theory is false. We must find and expose the true culprit. We must explain everything through human tricks or something of that nature. Should we fail to do so, she will become the new Oyashiro-sama."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Okay...? I'm confused."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""You'll get it in time." said the shadowy one. "You'll go through another kakera, where different events will unfold, and you'll try to figure it out, okay?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Meanwhile, I'll continue to follow Keiichi around and see what I can uncover. I'll need your help, of course, to stop this imposter."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""Very well. I trust you."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""The rest of you, begone!" And with a finger snap of Lambda, the other residents dissapeared back into the next kakera. "Of course, none of you will retain your memories of this. That includes Rika and Hanyuu. Gotta keep the game fair, after all."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""*huff* I'm ready." said Rika./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;""As am I." said Featherine./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"They ventured into the next world.../p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"xxx/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"Where is Keiichi? I'm over here, performing for the festival-goers, and he's not here?/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"...Well, I'm sure it's nothing too bad./p 


	4. Ch 2: Cotton Drifting Would Be Wonderful

Chapter 2: Cotton Drifting Would Be Truly Wonderful

xxxx

"Well Rika, you lose again."

Rika groaned. That death was not particularity pleasant.

"Stlll, do you know now? Who I am?"

"What do you mean...?!" She realised what the shadow was getting at.

And she did _not_ like it.

"Mion? It was... you!?"

"I suppose it was. Do you think so?"

It wouldn't be a stretch to imagine that the heir to a criminal clan would be masterminding all this.

"So you used your position to pull the strings and pin it on Hanyuu. You merely pretended to be my friend. Am I correct?"

"If that is what you believe."

"But wait. You wouldn't just tell me the solution. Would you?"

"I merely gave you a hint. Remember, the win condition is to stop me, to expose me within the game itself. As such, you have won nothing."

"Do I still get another chance?" Rika asked.

A stupid question, thought the shadow. "The game continues until you win, or until you concede to me and accept me as the true Oyashiro-sama. Until then, this game will continue, infinitely if need be."

Rika groaned.

"Au au. Are you really prepared to go back?" Hanyuu asked.

Rika sighed. "I have no choice. I refuse to accept this _fake_ as the true you. I will expose the illusion for what it really is... even if it puts me against one of my own friends."

"Very well." Hanyuu reigned herself.

"Then, let round 3 begin!" And the shadow beast opened the way...


End file.
